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Dec. 4-, 1928. 1,693,647

C. C. FARMER AIR PURIFIER Filed Oct. 19, 1926 INVENTOR CLYDE C. FARMER ATTORNEY air before it'is supplied 'to a Patented Dec. 4, 1928;

UNITE D STAT f 1,693,647 PATENT orr es.

CLYDE o. FARMER, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'ro'rnn :wnsrnva nonsn AIR BRAKE COMPANY, or WILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CQRPORA- I TION or PENNSYLVANIA.

AIR PURIFIER.

Application filed October 19, 1926. Serial no. 142,620.

This invention relates to air purifiers, and

more particularly to adevice for purifying air employed in a'fluid pressure brake system. v

With the usual fluid ,pressurebrake system employedon railway trains, the locomotive is equippedwith an, air compressor and 7 one or more mam reservo1rs into which the compressor compresses air. 7 r

The air compressed by thecompressor carries in suspension more or less oil, which comes from the compressor and water vapor, which is present in air taken from the atmosphere by the compressor. It has been found that the oil and Water carried by the I 'such as alcohol for. preventing freezing, and a light oil, such as benzine, for rendering the oil liquid, so that it will drain out.

air tends to collect on valves employed in the brake equipment and in some cases, the deposits so formed, interfere with thede sired operation of certain valves, so that it is very desirable to remove oil and water from the compressed air before it is supplied to the brake apparatus.

The principal object of my invention is to provide means for purifyinv compressed fiuid' pressure system, such as a fluid pressure brake system.

In the accompanying drawing, the single figure is a diagrammatic view of'an apparatus embodying my invention.

According to my invention, one or more sections 1 of coiled pipe are provided, the pipe being preferably of relatively small diameter, each section having an inlet end connected into a header 2 and an outlet end connected into a drain reservoir. 3.

The compressed air ofthe system is supplied through pipe 4 to the header 2 and passesfrom the drain reservoir 3 to a pipe 5, which is connected to a fluid pressure system, such as a fluid pressure brake system.

As the compressed air, flows through the sectionl of coiled pipe, the air is cooled, so that water'vapor in the air condenses-on the inner walls of the pipe and at the same time, the swirling of the air through the coils, causes oil as well'as water to collect on the inner walls of the pipe.

It has been determined by actual test that the above arrangement of coiled pipe will effectively remove substantially all of the oil and water held in suspension in the compressed air, but the coils of pipe tend to become clogged with oil and water collecting on the inner walls of the pipe, so as to prevent the flow of compressed air through the apparatus to the fluid pressure system.

posed to the atmosphere in the winter time, 7

and thus cause cloggingofthecoils,

In order to prevent clogging ofjthe air; purifying coils, as above referred "to, I provide means operated automatically, as the coils tend to clog, for supplying a liquid to the coils which will liquefy the oil so that it will run out of the coils and, also prevent the water from freezing, or if frost has formed to liquefy same. i For this purpose,- a receptacle 6 is pro vided, which contains a liquefying agent,

The supply of liquid in the receptacle 6 is controlled by a valve device which may, comprise a casing 7 containing a flexible diaphragm 8, having the chamber .9 at one side connected 'by a pipe 10 to the outlet air pipe 5,, and having-chamber ll at the 0pposite side connected by pipe'l2 to the header 2 and thereby being subjected to the pressureof air supplied to the header.

The diaphragm 8 operates a valve 13, which controls communication from a 14, leading to the receptacle 6 to chamber 11. The diaphragm 8 is subject to the pressure 'of a coil spring 15, acting in a: direction tending to seat the valve 13. The liquid in p p if inner walls of the coils 1. From the reserquently the diaphragm 8, with the assistance 7 of spring 15 will hold the valve 13 closed' If the coils 1 should become clogged, howi ever, then it will be evident that the pressure or" air in the header 2 will be greater than the pressure of air in the reservoir 3 and as a consequence, the pressure of air inohamber- 11 will exceed that in chamber 9, so that the daphragni 8 will be actuated to efi'eot the opening of the valve 13. Liquid from the receptacle 6 will then be supplied through pipe 14: to chamber 11 and thence will flow into the header 2. The liquid supplied to the tending to obstruct the How of air, and the compressed air is again permitted to flow freely.

It will be evident that the above described action will automatically occur, whenever the coils become sufficiently clogged so as to result in the creation of a differential of air pressures on the diaphragm 8.

A drain cock 17 may be provided at the lower port-ionjot' the reservoir 3, so that when desired, accumulated liquid may be drained out.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: I p 1. The combination with a pipe coil interposed in a flow of fluid for separating oil and water from the flowing fluid, of means operated upon the clogging of said coil with oil and water forsupplying a liquid tosaid separating means which acts by gravitational flow through said coil to clear same of the collected oil and water, i

2,, The oornla'nation w th a coil of pipe through which stream'ot-fiuid flows and in which oil in the air stream collects, of means operated by the differential of fluid pressures between the inlet and the outlet of the air stream for supplying a liquid to said coil for clearing same of the collected oil.

3. The combination with one or more sect'ions of coiled pIpe interposed between the inlet and outlet of a current of air and adapted to collect oil contained in said air current, of a device operated by the difl eren tia-l of air pressures between the inlet and outlet, created by the clogging of the coils with oil, for supplying a liquid to said coils adapted to clear the coils of oil.

ll The combination with a plurality of vertically disposed sections of coiled pipe through wh-ich a current of air flows, said coils being adapted to collect oil and Water contained in said air current,of adevice operated upon a decrease in fluid pressure at the air outlet side of said coils, due to cloggingcf the coils with-oil'and water, for supplying a liquid to said-coils for thepurpose of clearing the. coils of oil and Water In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CLYDE o. manna 

